Apparatus for the mixing and distribution of granulated materials

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the mixing and distribution of different granulated materials, particularly fit for mixing the components of the charge in the iron and steel industry, comprising a cylindrical container for the mixed material, said container being divided in a plurality of peripherally distributed cells, means being provided for imparting a relative rotational movement between the container and the feeder.

United States Patent Manara [15] 3,701,511 1 pct, 31, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR THE MIXING AND DISTRIBUTION OF GRANULATED MATERIALS [72 Inventor: Angelo Teodoro Manara, Breno,

Italy [73] Assignee: Carlo Tassara S.p.A. Stabilimenti Elettrosiderurgicl, Breno Brescia,

Italy [22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 70,107

[52] 11.8. CI ..259/3 [51] Int. Cl. ..B01f 9/10 [58] Field of Search ..259/2, 3, ll, 12, 14, 29, 30, 259/50, 81 R, 89, 175, I76, 177 R; 34/109 I561... QM,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,336,006 8/1967 Berg ..259/l4 X 3,576,080 4/1971 Bliemeister et al. ..259/3 X Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe AttorneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher ABSTRACT An apparatus for the mixing and distribution of different granulated materials, particularly fit for mixing the components of the charge in the iron and steel industry, comprising a cylindrical container for the mixed material, said container being divided in a plurality of peripherally distributed cells, means being provided for imparting a relative rotational movement between the container and the feeder.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR THE MIXING AND DISTRIBUTION OF GRANULATED MATERIALS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The difiiculties normally met to obtain a homogenous mixing of granulated materials of different types are well known. The problem is particularly felt in the iron and steel industry when mixing the components of the charge, such as for example different minerals, coal and fluxes which, having widely different specific weights, tend to group together separately.

The invention thus relates to an apparatus which is apt to solve this mixing problem in a simple and brilliant manner. Although reference is made here to its use in the iron and steel industry it is to be understood that the machine of the invention can find application in any other field, from that of preparing concrete mixtures, to that of preparing food mixtures for animals.

Summary of the Invention The apparatus according to the invention is based on the use of conventional means for batching the individual components of the mixture to be produced, and is characterized in that a feeder downstream of said batching means is associated with a cylindrical container for the mixture, a relative rotational movement being provided between the container and the feeder. With this arrangement the material from the feeder is distributed in uniform successive layers inside the container, and the degree of distribution and interposition of the layers of different material can be chosen at will by adjusting the quantity of material fed and the speed of said relative rotational movement, so as to obtain a mixing carried to the required degree.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will anyhow be better explained in the description which follows of some preferred embodiments, given by mere way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a first embodiment, with a fixed feeder and rotating container;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of another embodiment with a rotating feeder and fixed container.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a container 1, in the form of a cylindrical circular crown, mounted with its central base on a rotatable support 3. Driving means, not shown, impart a rotary movement to the support 3 and consequently to the entire container 1.

The container 1 is regularly divided into a series of cells in the form of sectors of a circular crown, divided one from the other by vertical radial walls 4. Each cell is closed below by a movable bottom 5, pivoted towards the center at 6 and apt to be locked in a closed position (see dashed lines in the lefi side of FIG. 1) by means of a pawl 7 at the periphery.

Each movablebottom extends towards the center, beyond the pivot 6, into an operating rod 8 carrying a roller 9 at its free end.

At the center, on the axis of the apparatus, is mounted a jack 10 with a plate 12 fixed on to its rod 11.

By operating the jack 10, the plate 12 moves downwards from the position shown and rests on the rollers 9 carried by the rods 8 corresponding to the bottoms 5 which are open. In this descent movement, each rod 8 is caused to rotate downwards and leads to the progressive lifting and closing of the bottom 5 which, at the end of the stroke engages with the pawl 7, and remains locked in a closed position.

A feeder 13, diagrammatically represented on the left side of FIG. 1 carries the material 14 to be mixed into a fixed position above the container 1.

The apparatus operates in the following manner: with the plate 12 lowered and the bottoms 5 closed, the container 1 is caused to rotate by operating its support 3. When the container 1 is rotating regularly, the conveyor 13 is started and feeds the material 14 uniformly. Due to the rotary movement of the container 1, the material is uniformly distributed into the cells in a first layer whose thickness can be adjusted as required, by regulating the quantity of material 14 being fed. With the same procedure, a second layer, a third layer, and so on, of the difierent materials forming the mixture, can be poured onto a first layer of material of a given type. When a very thorough mixing is not required, only one layer for each type of material may be set. In the contrary case, each type of material may be set into several layers each alternating with the other materials, in successive distribution cycles. If only one feeder 13 is used, successively for all types of materials, it may be convenient to keep the flow constant and to vary the batch by simply varying the feeding times.

It is however also possible to use a feeder for each type of material to be mixed. In this case the feeders may operate simultaneously, for equal lengths of time, with regular flows according to the batches required.

In any case, when the operation of filling the container 1 is terminated, all the components of the mixture are in each of its cells in exact proportion, already mixed according to the required mixing degree. For discharging the cells, the plate 12 is raised, leaving the arms 8 free. Simultaneously an opening cam (not shown) in a fixed position outside the container 1, for example in correspondence of hopper 15, is made to operate. 0n rotation of the container 1, the rollers 7 carried by the pawls 7 engage with the opening cam. This engagement causes the pawls 7 to unhook (see the open position to the left of FIG. 1) from the bottoms 5, with consequent instantaneous opening of the latter under the weight of the material contained in the corresponding cells. The material is then discharged towards the hopper 15. The opening of the bottoms 5 is limited by a stop plate 16, integral in rotation with the container 1, and on which the bottoms 5 bear directly, with the possible interposing of shock absorbing pads (not shown).

When all the cells have been discharged, the plate 12 is again operated with a downward movement, in order to bring back all the bottoms 5 into the closed position. From this moment the cycle is repeated as described above.

In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, the container 20 is of considerably larger dimensions than those of the container 1, whereby it becomes extremely difficult to make it rotate. In this case, a rotating distribution cone 21 is interposed between the fall of material 14, coming from the conveyor 13, and the container 20.

- uniform successive layers inside the container 20.

As in the previous case, the container is divided into V cells in the form of circle sectors, each provided with its own discharge opening 24, with corresponding opening and closing means. All the openings 24 are apt to discharge into the conical hopper 25, either separately or simultaneously.

Likewise to what has been said in connection with FIG. 1, a single conveyor 13 may be provided, operating successively for each of the materials to be mixed, or various conveyors, one for each type of material, operating simultaneously.

The cone 21 may be rotated simply by making use of the reaction of the weight of the material falling along the channels 22, or its rotation may be operated by a suitable driving motor 26. The shaft 27 acts at the same time as a support for the cone 21 and transmits motion to it.

It is anyhow understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described, but that there may be various embodiments other than the above without for this departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for intermixing different granulated materials, comprising: a cylindrical container rotatable about a vertical axis, said container being subdivided into a plurality of radially extending cells, said container being open at its top end and including closure means for sealing the bottom end thereof, a feeder means for feeding granulated materials at a fixed location relative to the axis of said container into said cells through the top of said container, said feeder means being stationary relative to the axis of said container, means for discharging the granulated materials from said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said feeder means comprising at least one belt conveyor means arranged to drop granulated materials off its belt and vertically directly into said container.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, inwhich said feeder comprises at least one belt conveyor for each of the materials to be mixed.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said container is in the form of a circular cylindrical crown, divided into a number of cells in the form of sectors of a crown, by means of vertical radial walls.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which each cell of the container has a movable bottom, which can be opened independently from the other cells.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said movable cell bottoms are hinged towards the center of the container on horizontal pivots, and are locked at the periphery by pawl hooking means.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which said awl hookin means can be released in order to 0 en he movable ottoms by means of cam means opera ng in a fixed position external to the rotating container.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which each of said movable bottoms is prolonged towards the center of the containers beyond the hinging pivot, in the form of a respective control arm which controls the closure of the bottoms.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which a plate operated by a jack is provided, which rests simultaneously on the free extremities of all the control arms for controlling the closure of said movable bottoms.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which a stop plate for limiting the opening of said movable bot toms is provided, said plate being rotable integral with the container. 

1. An apparatus for intermixing different granulated materials, comprising: a cylindrical container rotatable about a vertical axis, said container being subdivided into a plurality of radially extending cells, said container being open at its top end and including closure means for sealing the bottom end thereof, a feeder means for feeding granulated materials at a fixed location relative to the axis of said container into said cells through the top of said container, said feeder means being stationary relative to the axis of said container, means for discharging the granulated materials from said container.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, said feeder means comprising at least one belt conveyor means arranged to drop granulated materials off its belt and vertically directly into said container.
 3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which said feeder comprises at least one belt conveyor for each of the materials to be mixed.
 4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said container is in the form of a circular cylindrical crown, divided into a number of cells in the form of sectors of a crown, by means of vertical radial walls.
 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which each cell of the container has a movable bottom, which can be opened independently from the other cells.
 6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which said movable cell bottoms are hinged towards the center of the container on horizontal pivots, and are locked at the periphery by pawl hooking means.
 7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which said pawl hooking means can be released in order to open the movable bottoms by means of cam means operating in a fixed position external to the rotating container.
 8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which each of said movable bottoms is prolonged towards the center of the containers beyond the hinging pivot, in the form of a respective control arm which controls the closure of the bottoms.
 9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which a plate operated by a jack is provided, which rests simultaneously on the free extremities of all the control arms for controlling the closure of said movable bottoms.
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which a stop plate for limiting the opening of said movable bottoms is provided, said plate being rotable integral with the container. 